Instagram has transitioned from a mere photo-sharing app to a feature-packed social platform for users and content creators. To further improve the user experience and add more ways to deliver quality content, the Facebook-owned giant has been adding many new features lately. However, there are an array of features that are currently in the pipeline for Instagram and are yet to make their way to the public. And thanks to leaks and rumors, we have managed to curate a list of the 8 most useful new features coming to Instagram in this article.
8 New Features Coming to Instagram (September 2021)
1. Interest-based Search
First up, interest search is a feature that was teased by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently. Mosseri mentioned and showcased the interest search feature in a recent announcement explaining how Instagram Search works.
Interest search is an extension of the search feature of Instagram, which the company recently explained in a blog post. It lets users search for particular interests or topics rather than pages or accounts. Currently, if you search for a topic on Instagram, the app shows accounts or pages related to it. However, with interest search, Instagram will first show posts, accounts, pages, or any other info available on the topic and give dedicated search options.
Now, coming to availability, Mosseri says that interest-based search is only available in certain regions at the moment and supports only a handful of languages. However, he adds that the company is planning to release the feature for global users as soon as possible.
2. Sell NFT Collectibles
Apart from improving the search functionality, Instagram is also reportedly planning to add a feature that will let users sell NFTs on the platform. Now, if you don’t know what NFTs are, these are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on blockchain that signifies the ownership of a digital item or collectible.
The feature was initially discovered by reverse app engineer Alessandro Paluzzi and will reportedly be called Collectibles. It will essentially let users post a digital item for sale on Instagram. The listed NFT items will include a ‘Collectible’ label, and you will be able to bid on them. Paluzzi shared the onboarding screen for the upcoming feature and a short screen recording to show how it will work.
As for availability, Instagram has not yet officially announced the Collectibles feature. So, it might be sometime before the social platform introduces it for all users.
3. Like Button for Stories
Instagram is also working on a like button for Stories. Currently, if you view someone’s story on the platform, you will find the share button at the bottom right corner.
However, as per Alessandro Paluzzi, the company is aiming to replace the share button with a heart button that will let users like someone’s story with a tap. Moreover, users will be able to tap the button multiple times to increase their like counts, as per a recent tweet by Paluzzi. Now, coming to availability, we have no information on that yet. So, stay tuned to know more about it in the coming days.
4. Add Music to Feed Posts
Other than the ability to like Stories on its platform, Paluzzi recently discovered that Instagram is also working to enable adding music for regular feed posts as well. Currently, when users upload pictures and videos on Instagram, the app only lets them tag other users and add locations. You can also collaborate with other users on Instagram feed posts.
However, according to the recent discovery, Instagram is testing a new “Add Music” button on the upload page. It will essentially let users add their favorite music to an image or a video before sharing them on their timeline.
Although the feature was discovered recently, Instagram might roll it out for global users soon. We will update you once the platform gets this cool new feature.
5. Instagram Fan Club
Apart from adding more interactive elements to its app, Instagram has plans to introduce a new ‘Fan Club’ feature, especially for content creators. It will let Instagram influencers create an exclusive subscription-based community, much like Twitter Super Follows or OnlyFans.
The feature was discovered by Paluzzi and will let creators share stories, posts and conduct live sessions exclusively for Fan Club members. Paluzzi has shared screenshots of the membership settings page, the approximate earnings screen, and more on his Twitter.
As for the availability of the Fan Club feature on Instagram, there is no information on that yet. However, given the fact that Instagram has completed developing all the necessary features and onboarding screens, chances are it might arrive in the coming weeks.
6. Set 24-Hour Status
As reported back in August, Instagram is working to add the ability to set a 24-hour status on its platform. The ephemeral status will be visible to followers who follow you back for the set limit, after which it will get automatically deleted.
The 24-hour status feature is currently available on Instagram’s dedicated messaging app Threads. And now, there is a high chance that the company will bring it over to the main app.
7. Account Health Report
Instagram is also working to add a new Account Heath section for users to get a clear picture of their account status. It shows all your past digressions, the posts of users that have been taken down, and provides information on what to do in such cases. Moreover, with this new feature, users will also be able to easily request Instagram to review their posts that may have been taken down mistakenly.
The feature was first discovered by Paluzzi a couple of months back. And since then, the reverse engineer has shared various screenshots showcasing the account health page, the FAQs related to removed posts, and more.
8. In-Chat Message Search
Other than these, Instagram is also aiming to add search functionality to chats on its platform. It will essentially allow users to search for specific messages inside a chat window to easily find conversations that happened earlier.
The feature was first spotted back in August. As per Paluzzi, the in-chat search bar appears when users scroll up in a chat window. They can then start typing relevant words in the text field to jump to earlier conversations.
New Features to Improve the Instagram Experience
So these are some of the most interesting and useful features that Instagram is currently working on. Although some of these features were discovered a few months back, Instagram has not added any of them to its public version as of now. However, chances are Instagram might start rolling out some of these features for users globally sooner rather than later. So, which of the Instagram features are you most excited about? Is it the Instagram Fan Club or the ability to add music to feed posts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
